Boat-beleasing device



Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2' SHEETS-SHEET l.

Tm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAI'II cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

P. J. CLANCY.

BOAT RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WVq/TQ M MM 555/7- TERA/E ys:

'ruu rnu mnu Fl-ANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. c

PATRICK J. CLANCY, or BOSTON, MAssACHnsErr'rs.

BOAT-RELEASING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2,

Application filed March 22, 1918. Serial No. 2 23.920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. CLANCY, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boat-Releasing De-' vices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The present invention relates to that part of a boats'gear or tackle by which a ships boats are lowered into the water alongside the ship and the release of the boats then effected, the device or. devices comprising my invention pertaining essentially to the immediateconnections between the tackle and the boat and which permit of the manual release or disengagement of the boat from the tackle as occasion requires.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide connections or devices of the above character which up to the time the .nianualj releaseof the boat is effected will act to positively hold or support the boat without possibility of disengagement; connections or devices permitting of the manual release or disengagement of the boat only when the boat is properly launched; which permit only of a simultaneous release of the tackle from both ends of the boat with which the tackle ordinarily connects and 'which also permits of a. positive clearing of the boat from the tackle without possibility ofreengagement after the manual op eration for obtaining the release has once been effected. I m y The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawings in Which Figural is a plan of a boat equipped with the devices comprising the invention.

2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the boat showing the devices in side elevation. i y

[Fig.3 shows in side'elev ation one ofthe boat-releasingdevices, the same being shown in enlarged detail. y n p, v H 4. is a section of the same taken on the line ,of Fig. 3.

5; isfa longitudinal vertical section of the complete device, and

F1 ,-6 is a section of the device taken on the line 6-6 of Flg. 5.

Referring to the drawings a 1 represents the boat which it will be assumed is swung from a'vc ssel (not shown) by means of tackle 2 hung from the usual clavits (not shown) and connecting respectively with the opposite ends of the boat through the releasable connections 3 comprising my invention. a

The connections or devices 3 are in the nature of couplings, each comprising a socket-forming member 4: which is secured to the boat, a tongue-forming member 5 with which the tackle 2 connects, and a releasable latch or bolt 6 for locking together the combined members. v

The socket-forming member 4 consists of a chambered fixtureor casing preferably rectangular in form, the lower end of which is open and provided with outwardly-extending flanges 8 through which bolts 9 or other fastenings may extend by which the casing issecured to the boat. The top of the casing is closed excepting for an opening 10 which admits of the entry of the tongue 11 of the tongue-forming member 5. This tongue comprises preferably an elongated rectangular plate and the opening 10 in the top of the casing is made just large enough to admit of the passage of the tongue.

The chamber of the casing forms a socket within which the tongue is contained, the tongue entering to a point well within the chamber.

The tongue has normally a vertical disposition in relation to the casing. The re lation between the tongue and the casing is also suchthat the tongue may be free to assume other than a vertical position in relation to the casing or turned to assume angular position with relation thereto. The tongue will fulcrum or turn upon the edges to the opening 10 in the top of the casing, the top of the casing being cut away or beveled. andthe chamber of the casing being sufficiently large to admit of the turning of the tongue. The socket-forming member is so placed upon the boat that the tongue, thus free to turn, will turn upon an axis extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal line of the boat. p

The tongue-forming member 5, as above pointed out, comprises preferably an elongated plate With which the tackle connects through a ,suitably-interpbsed ring 12 to which the tackle is secured and which in turn passes througha hole or opening 13 which engage the top of the socket-forming I memberat the opposite ends of the opening through the. socket-forming member and 7 ed position upon the bolt 6.

lOwithin it. I

The releasable latch or bolt 6 which looks the'two members together extends crosswise through the "tongue I within it when the tongue is properly socketed within the memher as above explained. The bolt is mounted to slide within a tubular casing 16 threaded within an opening in one side of the socket-forming member and projecting outwardly therefrom at an angle normal to .it. The end of the casing 16 is closed by a chambered cap 17 threaded toxfit thereon except- 7 ing for a central opening inthe cap through which the shank 18 of the bolt extends. The shankis made smaller than the head of the bolt proper '6 and between the bolt or head and the cap, coiled around the shank of the bolt, -is spring 19 the tension of which maintains the bolt in a normal extendedor locking position, permitting, however, of the retraction or withdrawal of the bolt upon thecompressionof the spring.

v A further arrangement is provided whereby the bolt be maintained in a retractits-withdrawal for releasing the tongue. This comprises an auxiliary bolt or plunger'22 having an annular rib or collar 23 and a shank 2a carrylng upon its end a handle or knob 25 for operating the bolt. The rib or collar 23 of the bolt is mounted to slide within a tubular casing 26 threaded into an opening formed in the side of the tubular casing 16 adjacent The end of the/casing 26 is closed by a cap 27 threaded to fitupon it and provided with a central opening through which the shank 24 extends. Coiled around the shank between the ri'b or'collar 23 and the cap 27 is a spring 28 the tension of which maintains the auxiliary boltin a nor. mal extended or looking position, permitting, however, of its retraction or withdrawal by compression of the spring. 7 The auxiliary bolt 22 is maintained by the spring 28 in constant lateral engagementwith the bolt 6, the end of theauxiliary bolt extending to lie within the slot 30 cut in the side of the bolt 6. At the forward end of the slot '30 the bolt 6 is provided with a socket 31 into which the auxiliary bolt, influenced by the tension of the spring backing it, fastens automatically when the bolt 6 is withdrawn sufliciently to release the tongue, the auxiliary bolt thenoperating to hold the main bolt in its withdrawn or retractedposition untilrelease is obtained by a: pull upon the shank of the auxiliary bolt. When the auxiliary bolt'is releasedthe main boltwill be made to assume a locking position by the tension ofthe spring back of it. The auxil V,

' iary bolt will always slip into the-socket 31 1 when the main bolt has been retracted inasmuch as the normal relationship is maink talned between the two bolts bythe slot in the main bolt into which the auxiliary bolt fits, the engagement between the sides of this Connecting with the shanksof theniain bolts to the couplings, when arranged at the forwardand rear ends of the boat-,are ropes or connections .341, respectively. These ropes connect with the shanks through inter;

posed shackles 35 which by theirengagement with the caps 17 which form the endsof the casings through which the shanks-extend,

operate to define the extended position of the bolts or such as will fairly and properlylock i together the two parts of the coupling when the bolt is extended. Fromthe respective the ropes'or connections 33, 34, extendbacln.

shackles and ends of thelshanks o f the bolts ward toward the center of the boat around idler pulleys 36. .Thencethe lines or com nections extend laterally toward one side of the boat around idler pulleys .37. Thence V the lines or connections extend along the side of the boat to a point about'midway the: boat where the-ends of the ropes or connee tions both pass through afixture 38 andlthe ends of the ropes beyond the fixture fasten together. The connected ends of the, ropes are provided with anyjsuitablering or hane dle39 fastened to them.

With the above described arrangement V I will first be observed thattheconnections or couplings between the tackle and the boat,

are such as to offer a positive means ofTe tention wlthout possibility of accidental dis engagement or separation of the parts ofthe coupling requiring the withdrawal of the main bolts, which can be effected only by manual operation. The respective couplings may be released either separately or'collece 'tively by a pullupon the ropesorconnec- V tions 33, 3 1., 'In nofevent, however,-can either of these eouplingsbe released as long as the welght'of the boat comes upon the coupling inasmuch as the'draw ofthe tongue and ensuing frictional resistance of the 'con-, 7 nected parts will preventa withdrawal ofthe bolt. In otherwords, the coupling at.

either end of the boat cannot bebroken until i i the; tackle connecting with such end ofthe boat is relieved of the strain: upon it .and which relief is obtainedpnly by a proper launching of that end of theboat. ,The arrangement is also such that both of the main bolts for releasing the respective couplings can only be withdrawn simultaneously, that is, when pull is made upon the ring or handle 39. In other words, a cramping of either of the main bolts within its socket will prevent the main bolt to the other socket from being pulled. Consequently the bolts cannot be withdrawn and the couplings broken until the boat has been properly launched and the tackle connecting with both ends of the boat relieved of all strain.

In the ordinary operation of the parts after the breaking of the couplings the tongues to which the tackle is secured will pull away from the socket members. It might happen, however, that both couplings might be broken by the withdrawal of their respective main bolts and the tackle with the tongue secured to it ull awayfrom only one of the couplings. lil' then the pull on the bolt of the other disconnected coupling is not maintained this coupling might again become locked by the return of the bolt. To prevent such possibility means are employed by which when the bolts are once withdrawn or retracted they are held in their withdrawn or retracted positions automatically by means of the auxiliary bolts, thereby preventing any possibility of the occurrence just referred to. The arrangement whereby the tongues may be turned in their respective sockets after the withdrawal of the main bolts is to facilitate the withdrawal of the tongues from their sockets after the withdrawal of the main bolts. In some cases the draft exerted by the tackle for pulling the tongues away from their sockets after the pulling of the main bolts might not be a vertical pull but at an angle, and to prevent any possibility of the tongues binding within their sockets in such event a certain freedom of movement is aliorded them as above explained.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination with a boat and its supporting tackle, of couplings securing said tackle to the opposite ends of the boat, each of said couplings comprising complementary separable parts attachable one to the boat and the other to the tackle, and a latch releasable by a pull connecting said parts, means for maintaining each of said latches to occupy normall an engaging position, means whereby pul may be exerted upon the latches of the respective couplings for re leasing the latches and whereby, also, said latches may be released simultaneously, and means whereby said latches when released may automatically be held in an open'position.

2. The combination with a boat and its supportin tackle, of couplings securing said tackle to t e opposite ends of the boat, each of said couplings comprising complementary tongue and socket members attachable one to the boat and the other to the tackle and separable one from the other by pull in a substantial vertical direction, each of said couplings comprising, also, a latch extending transversely through said members and releasable by a pull thereon only when said members are relieved of strain tending to separate the same, means for maintaining each of said latches to occupy normally an engaging position, means whereby pull may be exerted u on the latches of the respective couplings or releasing the latches and whereby, also, said latches may be released simultaneously when the tongue and socket members of both couplings are relieved of strain thereon tending to separate the same, and means whereby said latches when re- .leased may automatically be held in an open position.

3. A boat-releasing device comprising complementary tongue and socket forming members attachable, respectively, to parts to be connected, a latch releasable by a pull carried by the socket-forming one of sa1d members for connecting said members, means for maintaining said latch to occupy normally an engaging position, and means acting automatically to hold said latch in an open position when the latch is drawn, disconnecting said members.

PATRICK J. CLANCY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0." 

